Alleged Organ Harvesting: Kidney Donor Is 21 Years Old, Not 15 – UK Court Agrees
- Ekweremadus plead not guilty, back in custody till August 4
The Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court in the United Kingdom hearing the case of alleged organ harvesting involving the former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and his wife, Beatrice, was on Thursday told that the kidney donor, David Ukpo, is actually 21 years old and not a minor.
Prosecutors reportedly informed the court that all the available evidence provided showed that the said donor is actually 21 years old and not 15 years old as widely held.
With Ekweremadu and his wife, who appeared in court on Thursday at Westminster Magistrates Court, pleading not guilty to the charge of organ harvesting, the case has been transferred to the Central Criminal Court and adjourned till August 4, 2022, as the next hearing date.
However, the Court still ordered that the couple be remanded in custody till the adjourned date, an indication that the case may no longer be transferred to Nigeria since it will now be heard at the Central Criminal Court.
This is as the Federal High Court Abuja ordered the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to transmit the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the biodata information of an alleged Minor to the Attorney General of the Federation for onward transmission to the UK to aid Ekweremadu’s trial.
The lawmaker’s lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) on July 27 urged Justice Inyang Ekwo to order the release of certain official documents of Ukpo domiciled with NIMC, Nigerian Immigration Service, and Stanbic-IBTC Bank for the purpose of effectively defending Ekweremadu in the UK.
Both prayers were granted by Justice Inyang Ekwo.
